David:
First let me start by saying I have been a fan of the hard-boiled detective for as long as I can remember. I have read the works of Raymond Chandler , Dashiell Hammett, and other lesser known authors of the genre. All have appeared in the detective pulp's of the 30's and 40's; most in Black Mask and Dime Detective. What most appealed to me about the hard-boiled detective is that he is a common man but at the same time an unusual man. He is a man of honor who can walk the mean streets of his time un tarnished and unafraid. He embodies all that is right and good in a man, but he's no saint. The hard-boiled detective has his flaws, but it is his ability to overcome these flaws that allows him to do what is right. The hard-boiled detective is a hero for the common man. A knight in a fedora with a .45 automatic as his sword. My detective, Nick Holliday, embodies all the aspects of the hard-boiled detective established by the Black Mask school of fiction. He talks and acts tough without being tough—he has a crisp exterior but an amorphous interior.
Q. When did you write Lust, Lugers, and Larceny?
David:
I wrote the original script for LLL about twelve years ago. At that time I was involved with the Broome Community College Theatre Company. I showed the script to the director at the time. He enjoyed the script, which was in itself a compliment because he was himself a playwright and a tough critic. He of course suggested a few changes, which I made. Since that time LLL has gone through a number of changes. The most significant being the recent change of going to a "split set" and a final rewrite before the first night of rehearsal.
Q. Why did you decide to go with a split set?
David:
I went with a split set for two reasons. The first being it creates a more intimate atmosphere for the actors and the audience. Secondly it allows for ease of scene changes. Each scene in the show plays out like a single chapter in a pulp detective novel; each scene closing with a cliff hanger ending that leads to the next scene. The "split set" allows us easily to flow into the next scene without waiting for a stage crew to set things up for the next scene. Think about it, if you're reading an exciting detective story and you come to the end of a chapter that leaves you hanging, you want to go right into the next chapter to see what happens next, not wait for someone to tell you to go to the next chapter. With a "split set" we can easily transition from one scene to the next with a simple lights up, lights down. From one set to the next without making the audience wait to see what will happen next.
Q. What inspired you to make the leap from actor to playwright?
David:
Acting and writing have been my two great passions. I enjoy doing both. But I believe it was the works of a local playwright named Leonard Melfi that most inspired me to take the leap. What was unique about Melfi's work was he wrote plays for actors. What I mean by that is he gave all his characters, no matter how small the role, a chance to shine. To be center stage at some point during the play. To give each actor performing his plays a meaty role, no matter the size of the role. As an actor I believe every role, no matter how small it is, is important. But as actors we all like the chance to be in the spotlight and Leonard Melfi gave us that chance, just as I have tried to do with LLL. Each character in LLL is important in moving the action along. Each character has a hand in the plot and each actor gets a chance to be in the spotlight.
Q. Have you directed before?
David:
This is my first directorial effort for EMTC, but it is not my first effort as a director. The first show I directed was another one I wrote and still have to this day. The original title of the show was An Evening with Poe. The show consisted of three stories written by Edgar Allen Poe and was considered by some as my best work. Most of the credit, however, goes to Poe. I merely took the three stories and adapted them for the stage. To my surprise the show was a success. We were even asked to take it on the road, which we did. I enjoyed the experience of directing my Poe plays, but I am having more fun with LLL. The cast for LLL is wonderful. They are all very talented and their remarkable grasp of their characters and their personalities even surprised me. As a playwright you create the characters, their personalities, their faults but it takes the actor to breathe life into your creation, to make the characters come alive, and the cast of LLL have far exceeded my expectations. We're all having fun with this show and I think the audience will too.
